Springtime in Athens means one thing: Fest Season.
Spanning roughly six weeks – from mid-March to late April – Fest Season is a magical time in Athens where parties run nearly every weekend, taking up entire streets. Things can look a little different from year-to-year, with many fests coming and going since the tradition began in the 80’s, but six fests have been a staple of the season over the past few years. Here’s a breakdown of every single one:
Milliron Fest
The first fest of the season is usually the smallest.
The party starts on a Friday in mid-March across tiny Milliron Street, an offshoot of Stewart Steet.
The vibe at Milliron is more of a “kickback” and less of a full-fledged party. Several houses play music, some with DJs and others with live bands, but no more than 50-75 people are present at any given property. Many people decide to skip this fest all together to rest up for Milliron’s bigger brother – Mill Fest.
Mill Fest
The first large fest takes place the day after Milliron, starting bright and early (for college students) around 9 or 10 a.m.
Mill Street is long and spread out, so you’ll sometimes have to hike from party to party. Since it’s the first big fest of the season, and the first time many people have partied outside since the fall, Bobcats go all out. There are DJs and live bands, people packed tightly into muddy front and backyards, and usually some type of party at every other house.
By the mid-afternoon, around 3 or 4 p.m., the cops start shutting the scene down. By 6 p.m., Mill Street is usually quiet as people migrate to the bars.
Congo Fest
Like Milliron, this fest is pretty tame.
Usually occurring the week after Milliron and Mill Fests, Congo Fest, which takes place on Congress Street, kicks off Friday evening – the night before High Fest.
Congress Street is long, but most of the festivities are contained between Bromley Hall on one end and Carpenter Street on the other. The parties are spaced out, small and only a handful of houses have DJs or bands.
If packed backyards and hordes of drunk college students walking up and down the street isn’t your style, Congo is perfect for you. A fun, relaxed vibe without the massive throngs of people that usually come along with it.
High Fest
No, this fest did not get its name from the feeling you get after smoking a green plant. Like Milliron and Mill, High Fest is named for High Street, where the party goes down.
Occurring the morning after Congo, High is a spaced-out event like Mill and Congo. There are a smattering of DJs and bands, but nothing is too notable about this fest. Out of the big three Saturday fests: Mill, High and Palmer, it is definitely the smallest and least rowdy.
Palmer Place Fest
Notice the trend of spread-out fests? Palmer Place is anything but.
Taking place in the courtyard of the Palmer Place apartments on one of the last Fridays of the semester, Palmer Place Fest partiers are packed in like sardines – oftentimes standing shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back.
The tight space makes for a nice change of pace – virtually all party-loving Bobcats descend onto the smallest area possible.
There’s usually a big stage at the front of the fest, with several DJs and the occasional band. Beachballs and footballs whiz through the crowd, and partiers hop on one-another’s shoulders to get an elevated view of the madness.
Make sure you show up to this early – which should be around 2 or 3 p.m. – and set up shop with your buddies. You’re going to appreciate the prime location and space you’ll get.
Palmer Fest
The main event and the one that started it all. Palmer Fest is a Bobcat favorite. The perfect blend between long, drawn-out streets like Mill High and tightly packed areas like Palmer Place.
Palmer Fest dates back to the early 90’s and was the first OU fest that occurred on a street instead of an open field elsewhere. It’s the inspiration for all other street fests.
The party starts the morning after Palmer Place Fest, running until the mid to late afternoon. The small street means that every party is in full view, so it’s easy to hop from house to house without worrying about another party elsewhere that you may be missing. Palmer Fest usually caps off Fest Season, so Bobcats typically go all-out.
Athens Street Fest Wrapup
The end of the school year and fest-season is as good a time as any for intoxicated college students to make dumb decisions. Every year state and local officials arrest dozens of students for various infractions. So, if you’re in danger of making regrettable choices, please make sure to always have at least one sober friend by you. Remember: Somebody is paying for these student rentals / party houses and they’d like to get their deposit back. Try not to be somebody else’s problem. Stay hydrated and keep alcohol off the sidewalk and roads. Be smart, Bobcats! Stay safe. Have fun.